Adjustable friction-wrench



J. A. PITSCH. ADJUSTABLE rmcnou WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILI 'ID JUNEZ. .1920.

Patented June 28, 1921.

c/Zz/us /4. arse/I- INVEN TOR.

M ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES lBiA TENT OFFICE.

JULIUS A. PITSQH, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ADJUSTABLE FRICTION-"WRENCH.

Application filed June 2,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, JULiUs A. Parrsorr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Friction-lVrenches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an adjustable friction wrench arranged to cause turning of the wrench head when the handle is moved in one direction, and to permit of free movement of the handle in the opposite direction without causing reverse turning of the wrench head.

It is the object of the invention to provide a simplified and inexpensive construction of this character wherein the wrench head may be adjusted in size, and in which the ratchet engagement between the wrench head and the wrench handle is a frictional engagement.

The invention will be readily understood from the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front view of the wrench partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a View of the reverse side of the wrench.

Fig. 3 is an edge view of the wrench partly in section.

Fig. 4 is a front view of the wrench head disk.

F ig 5 is a view of the reverse side thereof.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the line 6-6 of Fig.

Fig. 7 is a front view of the movable jawsof the wrench.

Fig. 8 is an end view thereof.

Fig. 9 is a front view of the retaining plate for the wrench head.

The improved wrench comprises a wrench head formed as a disk and suitably cut away to provide one jaw of the wrench. The other of the wrench'is a slid-able jaw adjustable along the disk of the wrench head toward and away from the first mentioned jaw.

The handle for turning the wrench head comprises a ring received around the disk of the wrench head and having a handle pivoted to said ring and provided with a cam surface so arranged that when the handle is turned in one direction the cam surface will engage the disk forming the wrench head for causing rotation of the wrench head with the handle and when the handle is turned in the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 28, 1921.

1920. Serial No. 385,925.

opposite direction the cam surface will be turned so as to be out of engagement with the disk of the wrench head for permitting of free movement of the wrench handle relative to the wrench head.

Referring to the specific embodiment of the nvention illustrated, the wrench head disk is shown at 1, as provided with a peripheral groove 2 and as having the jaw surface 3 formed therein. The opening forming this aw surface is, preferably, elongated beyond the aw surface as shown at 4 to provide a space in which the movable jaw of the wrench is free to slide toward and away from the jaw surface An elongated slot 5 is provided in disk 1 adjacent the opening forming jaw surface 3, this slot being aranged to guide the movement of the movable jaw of the wrench relative to jaw surface 3. The disk 1 at the slot 5 is, preferably, of reduced thickness as shown at 6, in order to provide a space in rear of the slot in which the movable jaw of the wrench may be received without causing said jaw to project beyond the rear edge of the wrench head disk.

An opening 7 arranged to receive the actuating screw for the movable jaw of the wrench is provided in the wrench head disk, this opening being, preferably, arranged at the side of the slot 5 which is opposite the opening for the jaw surface 3. The disk is shown as of reduced thickness at the opening 7, as shown at 8, in order to provide a space in which the actuating screw for the movable aw will be ournaled, this space communicating with the space in the rear of the slot 5, and in which the movable jaw is slidable so that the actuating screw may engage the slidable jaw.

The movable aw for the wrench is shown as comprising a jaw 10 having the jaw sur face 11 cooperating with the jaw surface 3. The jaw 10 is provided with a shank 12 arranged to slide along the slot 5 and this shank is provided with a rack 13 at the edge thereof, opposite the jaw 10. The shank is longitudinally recessed as shown at 1% and 15, in order that the portions of the wrench head disk at the respective sides of slot 5 may be received in said recesses to provide a longitudinal guide-way for the movable jaw of the wrench.

The actuating screw for the movable jaw is shown as an usual screw 16 meshing with the rack 18 and arranged to cause longitudi- CID nal movement of the movable jaw in reverse directions through reverse rotation of the screw. The screw 16 is received in the space in rear of opening 7 with the edge of the screw projecting slightly through said opening, and the opposite edge of the screw, preferably, projecting through a similar opening 17 provided in the side plate 18 which is arranged to be secured as by screws 19 over the surface of the wrench head disk at the reverse side of the disk for retaining the movable jaw and the actuating screw of the wrench in position. The screw 16 thus projecting through openings 7 and 17 is arranged to be engaged by the fingers for readily turning the screw. By this arrangement the movable jaw 10 may be readily moved toward and away from the fixed aw surface 3 to provide a wrench head of adjust able size.

The actuating handle for the wrench head as thus constructed comprises a sleeve 20 r ceived around the wrench head disk and having laterally projecting lips 21 at opposite sides of the sleeve. The handle 22 is pivoted between lips 21 as by a bolt 23, and the operating end of the handle is arranged to project outwardly beyond the sleeve 20, and the opposite end of the handle is arranged to project through a suitable opening 24: in sleeve 20 into the interior of the sleeve. This end of the handle is shown as a cam surface 25, which, when the handle is swung in one direction upon its pivot 23, is arranged to engage the wrench head disk at the groove 2 for causing rotation of said disk with the handle, said cam surface being so arranged that when the handle is swung in the opposite direction the cam surface will be spaced from the wrench head disk for permitting free rotation of the handle relative to the wrench head. The opening 2a is of sufficient width to permit swinging of the cam so as to disengage the wrench head. but will limit the swinging of the cam so as to retain the latter within groove 2. By this arrangement the wrench head held against displacement from ring 20. The wrench head may be further held in position within sleeve 20 by set screw 26 threaded through the sleeve 20, preferably, opposite the handle of the wrench and received within a channel 26 at the base of groove 2 of the wrench head disk for preventing lateral displacement of the latter.

In operation the jaws of the wrench are adjusted in size by turning the screw 16 and the wrench head is then turned in one direction by turning handle 22, said wrench head being arranged to remain stationary while the handle is reversely rotated to obtain a new grip upon the wrench head for again rotating the same. When it is desired to reverse the ratchet action thus provided hetween the wrench handle and the wrench head, it is only necessary to turn the wrench over so that when the wrench head is again received over the member engaged thereby, the cam surface 25 will be reversed for causing the wrench handle to frictionally engage the wrench head when it is rotated in the reverse direction.

Thus it will be seen that I provide a wrench of simplified construction, wherein a frictional ratchet engagement is provided between the wrench head and the wrench handle, the direction of operation of said ratchet action being readily reversible by reversely positioning the wrench upon the member to be engaged.

It will be apparent that various changes may be made in the construction as thus described without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A wrench comprising a wrench head having a fixed jaw formed therein, a movable jaw, said wrench head being cut away so as to receive said movable jaw, an actuating screw within said wrench head for moving the movable jaw relative to the fixed jaw, and a handle member received around said wrench head so as to inclose said jaws and the screw, said handle member being arranged for free movement of said handle member relative to said head, the handle of said handle member being pivoted thereto so as to engage said wrench head when turned in one direction and to disengage said wrench head when turned in the opposite direction.

2. A wrench comprising a circular wrench head having a grooved periphery provided with a channel, a sleeve received about said wrench head, a handle pivoted to said sleeve and extending within said groove, the end of the handle within the groove being arranged to engage and be disengaged from said wrench head when turned in opposite directions, and a set screw projecting from said sleeve into the peripheral groove and channel of said wrench head.

3. A wrench comprising a wrench head having an opening therein forming a fixed jaw, said head also having a slot therein and a second opening adjacent said slot, a movable jaw received against the wrench head with its jaw surface received in the opening forming the fixed jaw, said movable jaw also having a lug received in the slot, operating means engaging the movable jaw and received in the opening adjacent said slot, and a retaining plate on said wrench head re ceived against said movable jaw.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JULIUS A. PITSCH. 

